The BSA was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1916. A few other youth programs have congressional charters, including the Girl Scouts of the USA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
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Since its founding, more than 110 million Americans have been participants in BSA programs at some time.
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The BSA is made up of various programs: Tiger Scouts (first graders, or 7-year-olds); Cub Scouts (second through fifth graders, or 8, 9, and 10-year-olds); Webelos Scouts (fourth-and fifth-graders, or 10-year-olds); Boy Scouts (11 through 17-year-olds); Varsity Scouts (14 through 17 year-olds); and Venture Scouts, which is a is a year-round program for young men and women who are 14 (or 13 years of age and have completed the eighth grade) through 21.
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Membership in Boy Scouts has declined by more than a third since 1999. As of Dec. 31, 2016, youth membership totaled nearly 2.3 million. There are also about 960,000 adult members, who are mostly leaders of various groups.
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As of Dec. 31, 2016, there were 101,324 units (crews, teams, troops and packs) in the BSA.
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During 2016, Scouts and Explorers across America recorded more than 15.4 million hours of service to their communities, at a value of more than $363.5 million.
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More than 70 percent of BSA troops are affiliated with a church or a religious group.
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There are seven ranks Boy Scouts can advance through in BSA: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle. The First Class rank badge can be seen here.
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There are currently 137 different merit badges that Boy Scouts can earn.
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In 2016, a total of 55,186 Scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the program's highest honor.
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Although several U.S. presidents have been involved in Scouting, only one, President Gerald Ford, earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
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Of the 535 members in the 115th U.S. Congress, the currently seated Congress, 28 percent have some sort of connection to the BSA either as a former youth member, as an Eagle Scout, or as an adult volunteer. That includes a total of 33 Eagle Scouts, according to the BSA.
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In May 2013, the BSA National Council voted to remove restrictions denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation beginning in 2014. On July 27, 2015, the Boy Scouts of America National Executive Board voted to lift the organization's blanket ban on openly gay leaders and employees, although local chartering organizations are still permitted to set their own standards.
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Starting in 2018, the BSA began allowing girls to join Cub Scouts. It also plans to launch a Scouting program in 2019 for older girls that will allow for a path to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
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